Kennedy gives all-clear to tactical voting ploy

He said a government led by William Hague would be a "disaster" and gave his blessing to voters in marginal constituencies uniting behind the best placed anti-Tory candidate.

Mr Kennedy's intervention followed yesterday's report in The Telegraph disclosing that the Labour and Liberal Democrat leaderships were discreetly encouraging tactical voting in an attempt to avert a Tory comeback.

Tactical voting featured prominently in the last election and, according to some estimates, cost the Conservatives about 80 seats. In a BBC interview, Mr Kennedy tacitly acknowledged that the parties would leave the way clear for each other in seats they knew they could not win.